Turbine.



W. ROBINSON.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. 1909.

Patented Jan. 11, 191 0,

INVENTOR WITNESSES UTTE S WILLIAM ROBINSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TURBINE.

Original application filed April 13, 1908, Serial No. 428,693. Divider].and this application filed April 19,

Serial No. 491,168.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved T urbine-Engine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This case is a division of my application for a patent for a turbineengine, filed April 13, 1908, Serial No. 426,693.

My invention relates to means for increasing the driving surface ofturbine engines, means for utilizing the exhaust steam in compoundingthe engines, in means for counterbalancing the end thrust of the rotorand to other improvements.

The nature of this invention will be understood from the descriptionwhich follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, whichforms a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents alongitudinal section of a turbine steam engine, illustrating thisinvention; Fig. 2 is a cross section through the line 3 y Fig. 1, andFig. 3, below the dotted lines, illustrates in section the relativearrangement of the rings of blades or vanes in the inner chamber B ofFig. 1, and illustrates, above said dotted lines, the relativearrangement of the rings of blades in the outer chamber A of Fig. 1.

The fixed shaft 1, provided with the sleeve or radial expansion 2 shrunkthereon, or otherwise rigidly secured thereto, is held in a fixed,non-rotative position by the supports 3, 4, The shaft 1 is provided alsowith the fixed, non-rotative radial sets of blades 5, 6, 7. The outershell or case 8 is also held rigidly in a fixed, non-rotatable positionby being anchored to the supporting or base plate 9, as by the supports10. The fixed outer shell 8 is provided on its interior with parallelrings of fixed blades 5 projecting inwardly in a radial direction, asshown.

Between the fixed shaft 1 and the fixed outer shell 8 the rotor sleeve14 is mounted rotatably, and is provided on its interior with the ringsof blades 15, 16, 17, coacting with the rings of blades 5, 6, 7, securedto the shaft 1, to drive said rotor sleeve 14. Said rotor sleeve 14 isprovided on its exterior with rings of blades 15 coacting with theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 11, 1910.

fixed rings of blades 5 also to drive said rotor.

The blades in the outer chamber A 'are intended to drive the rotor 14 inthe same direction as the blades in the inner chamber B, that is, theblades in the two chambers A and B reinforce each other to drive therotor 14 in the same direction. This requires a peculiar arrangement ofblades, as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this case the steam enters theinner chamber B from the steam pipe 34, through the orifice 30 in theshaft 1, at the front end of the machine, and, passing through saidchamber in the direction of the arrow to returns in the reversedirection through the outer chamber A, as indicated by the arrow 2. Thesteam, entering the chamber B impinges upon the fixed rows of blades 5,6, 7, passes through between the same and reacts upon the rotating ringsof blades 15, 16, 17, secured to the rotor sleeve, thus driving thelatter in the direction illustrated by the arrow Of. The steam thenpasses through the ports 69 into the outer chamber A, in the directionof the curving arrow 2 a. It then strikes the rows of fixed blades 5*,and reacts against the rotating rings of blades 15 secured to theexterior of the rotor 14, thus exerting its force, in the outer chamberA, a second time to drive the rotor in the direction of the arrow 01 a.Thus the steam passes from the supply pipe through both chambers A, B tothe exhaust 68 at the entrance end of the machine. Thus, by passing thesteam twice through the engine, on opposite sides of the rotor we doublethe compounding of the engine and utilize the steam, it is believed, toa much greater degree of exhaustion than has heretofore been done. Thesteam, in passing through the various stages of this machine, of coursegradually expands and deteriorates in force, and 1 therefore give toeach succeeding stage of blades a greater superficial surface than thatof the preceding stage, because of the said expansion and consequentdiminishing power of the steam. Thus the superficial surface of theblades in the stage E is considerably greater than in the stage D, andgreater in F than in E, and in H, in the outer chamber, than in F, andgreater in I than in H, and in K than in 1. Thus we have a simplesextuple compound turbine engine utilizing the expanding steam throughits different stages, as long as it is of any substantial economicvalue.

Fig. 2 illustrates, approximately, the difference between thesuperficial surface of the blades in the first stage D, through whichthe live steam enters the machine, and the last stage K from which thefully expanded steam makes its exit through the exhaust.

It is here pointed out, as illustrated in Fig. 3, that the rings offixed blades in the inner chamber B and 5 in the outer chamber A areoppositely inclined in a direction to defleet the steam impinging upontheir respective concave surfaces in opposite directions, against theconcave surfaces of the respective rings of rotatable blades 15 and 15,thus causing the blades in the chambers A and B to reinforce each otherin driving the rotor forward in the direction of the arrow a a. Thesteam in passing through the inner chamber B, in the direction of thearrow 0:, has a tendency, by its pressure against the rotating blades,to give the rotor 14 an end thrust in the same direction. On thecontrary the steam in passing through the outer chamber A in the reversedirection, as indicated by the arrow 2, tends to give the rotor an endthrust in the direction of said arrow 2, thus tending to counterbalancethe end thrust in the opposite direction caused by the steam passingthrough the inner chamber, as described. It is pointed out also that thesteam in passing through the inner chamber B in the direction of thearrow in striking against the expanding annular shoulders on the shaftat 47, 49, reacts against the annular shoulders 72, 73 on the interiorof the rotor, thus tending to give the same an end thrust in thedirection of the arrow 2. On the contrary the steam, in passing throughthe outer chamber A in the reverse direction, strikes against theannular shoulders 73, 72 on the interior of the shell or case 8, andreacts against the exterior of the annular expansions of the rotor, asshown at 73, 72, thus tending to give the rotor 1 f an end thrust in thedirection of the arrow 00. Thus it is evident that the result of the endthrusts in opposite directions, upon the rotor, is to neutralize theeffect of said end thrusts and to give the rotor a steady, uniformrotation without end thrusts.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the end thrust upon the rotor,caused by steam passing through one chamber in one direction iscounteracted by the end thrust caused by steam passing through the otherchamber in the opposite direction.

It will be understood that the pulley 21, keyed to the rotor sleeve 14.,illustrates means for transferring driving power from said rotor sleeveand engine to the machinery to be driven thereby.

I do not limit myself to the use of steam in carrying out thisinvention, but may use any suitable source of power and still be withinthe spirit, scope and purpose of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is l. A turbine engine comprising a centralshaft and an outer case or shell, both fixed in a non-rotatable positionand each provided with non-rotating blades or buckets, a rotor sleevesupported rotatably between said fixed shaft and case and rotatingaround said fixed shaft, said sleeve being provided on its inner andouter surfaces 0 with blades or buckets arranged to coact with saidstationary blades or buckets to drive said rotor, said rotor formingwork ing chambers of approximately equal length between said shaft androtor and between said rotor and outer case or shell, and means forcausing steam or operative fluid to pass through one of said. workingchambers in one direction and to return through the other workingchamber in the opposite direction, on the opposite side of said rotor,the steam or operative fluid in each chamber operating to drive saidrotor in the same direction.

2. In a turbine engine, the combination of a fixed shaft provided withnon-rotating blades or buckets, means for securing said shaft in afixed, non-rotatable position, a fixed outer case or shell also providedwith non-rotating blades or buckets, a rotor sleeve or cylinder providedon its inner and outer surfaces with blades or buckets, said sleevebeing supported rotatably between said fixed shaft and shell andarranged to rotate around said shaft, said sleeve forming independentworking chambers between said shaft and rotor and between said rotor andouter shell, the blades in each of said chambers coacting to drive saidrotor in the same direction, and means for causing steam or operativefluid to pass through one of said chambers in one direction and toreturn through the other chamber in the reverse direction, and means forconnecting said rotor sleeve to the mechanism to be driven.

3. In a turbineengine, the combination of a fixed central shaft providedwith a longitudinal passage way at one end and ports extending outwardlytherefrom through the walls of said shaft to the inner working or bladechamber, means for securing said shaft in a non-rotatable position, anouter fixed shell or case, an independent rotor sleeve rotatablysupported at a plurality of points between said shaft and shell, saidsleeve forming an inner working chamber between said fixed shaft andsleeve and an outer working chamber between said sleeve and outer shell,coacting blades in each of said chambers arranged to drive said sleevein the same direction, a supply pipe connected to the hollow passage wayin said shaft, a valve arranged to control the supply of steam oroperative fluid to said inner chamber, and means for causing said 0Jerative fluid to pass through the length 0 said inner chamber and toreturn through said outer chamber to the exhaust, the operative fluidpassing through each chamber reinforcing the power and efficiencydeveloped by it in the other chamber.

4c. In a turbine engine, the combination of a central shaft providedwith fixed blades or buckets, means for securing said shaft in a fixed,non-rotatable position, a fixed outer case or shell also provided withnon'rotatable blades or buckets, a rotor sleeve or cylinder supportedrotatably between said fixed shaft and shell and arranged to rotatefreely around said fixed shaft on bearings located at or near its ends,said rotor sleeve being provided on its inner and outer surfaces withblades or buckets, and forming independent working chambers on oppositesides of said rotor, the blades in each of said chambers coacting todrive said rotor sleeve in the same direction on the admission of steamor other motive power thereto, means for passing steam or motive powerthrough one of said working chambers in one direction and returning thesame through the other chamber in the reverse direction on oppositesides of said rotor sleeve, and means for connecting said rotor sleeveto the machinery to be driven by said engine.

5. In a turbine engine comprising a fixed non-rotatable central shaftprovided with stationary blades or buckets, means for securing saidshaft in a non-rotatable position, a fixed outer case or shell, a rotorsleeve or cylinder supported rotatably between said non-rotatable shaftand shell on a plurality of bearings, said rotor sleeve formingindependent working chambers between said shaft and sleeve and betweensaid sleeve and outer shell, coacting blades in each of said chambersarranged to drive the rotor in the same direction on the admission ofsteam or motive power to either of said chambers, means for passingsteam or motive power through one of said chambers in one direction andreturning it through the other chamber in the opposite direction, andmeans for causing the end thrust imparted to the rotor in one chamber tobe counteracted by the end thrust in the opposite direction imparted tothe rotor in the other chamber, and means for connecting said rotorsleeve to the mechanism to be driven.

WILLIAM ROBINSON.

Witnesses E. M. HALLETT, GEORGE F. EBERT.

